I decided to attempt some Sans-Fork salads by making edible cups. I had seen this wacky idea to make bacon baskets, but they just seemed too greasy . . and heavy, and UN healthy for my plan. Proscuitto to the rescue. Here’s the entire recipe: 1) get 1 pound of thinly sliced Proscuitto, 2) brush 12 muffin tins with vegetable oil, 3) heat up your oven to 400 degrees, 4) Line each muffin tin with a slice of proscuitto, 5) stuff the cup with aluminum foil so the Proscuitto “cup” will hold its shape while cooking, and 6) bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until, obviously, crispy. That’s it.

They say in Tucson, “it’s a dry heat,” so it feels cooler. I disagree. If it’s 115 out, it’s hot, hot, HOT.

We kids used to do odd things to keep cool in the summers. We ran through the sprinklers. We laid in the shady carport so our bare stomachs could be against the cool smooth cement playing Go Fish. We drank lemonade all day long. We rode around town at night with all the car windows rolled down. Sometimes we ate banana splits for dinner. And we ate tons and tons of cold salads.

One of my favorites is the simplest chopped salad you can make: cool, creamy avocados paired with ripe tomatoes and tart grassy green onions. All tossed with a light Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette. This is a salad that just screams “SUMMER” in your mouth, and on your plate.

Avocado Chopped Salad topped with Smoked Paprika Grilled Shrimp

It’s also a healthy take on potato salad for the June Daring Cooks challenge and the potato version makes for a perfect Meatless Monday treat.